JP2017122872A - Accessory device and optical device using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an accessory device which both suppresses a power consumption and makes a quick response, and an optical device using the same.SOLUTION: There is provided an accessory device which can be mounted on an optical device, the accessory device having communication means for communicating the optical device, and operation means to be operated so as to drive at least a part of the optical device. As power supply states, the accessory device has a first power supply state in a normal operation state, a second power supply state in a pause state, and a third power supply state in a power-saving state, wherein there is no transition between the second power supply state and the third power supply state, the communication means causes a transition between the first power supply state and second power supply state, and the first power supply state transitions to the third power supply state according to operation states of the communication means and operation means.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

  The present invention relates to an accessory device that can be attached to and communicated with an optical device, and an optical device using the accessory device.

  In a single-lens reflex camera system with an interchangeable lens, one having a mechanism capable of manually executing the focus adjustment and focal length adjustment of an interchangeable lens is the mainstream. On the other hand, by attaching to the interchangeable lens, it is mechanically coupled to the focus adjustment mechanism and focal length adjustment mechanism of the interchangeable lens, and the focus adjustment mechanism and focal length adjustment mechanism of the interchangeable lens can be electrically driven via the coupling portion. There are so-called drive units that are possible. Control is realized by exchanging information between the interchangeable lens and the drive unit by communication and sharing information on the driven member and the driving member.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a camera system has been devised that has a mechanism for communicating various types of information between an imaging device having an independent power source and a drive unit (Patent Document 1).

JP2015-94863A

  When the drive mechanism of the interchangeable lens is driven by the drive unit, since the drive unit and the driven unit exist in different devices, it is necessary to transmit the state of each other by communication. However, if communication is always possible, power consumption increases. Moreover, if the sleep state is frequently changed, the responsiveness at the time of operation deteriorates.

  An object of the present invention is to provide an accessory device that achieves both low power consumption and high responsiveness, and an optical device using the accessory device.

  In order to achieve the above object, an accessory device according to the present invention is an accessory device that can be mounted on an optical device, and drives at least a part of the optical device and communication means for communicating with the optical device. Operating means for operating, and as a power state of the accessory device, a first power state in a normal operation state, a second power state in a hibernation state, and a third power state in a power saving state And without transition between the second power state and the third power state, and transition between the first power state and the second power state by the communication means, A transition from the first power supply state to the third power supply state is made according to operating states of the communication means and the operation means.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an accessory device that achieves both suppression of power consumption and responsiveness, and an optical device using the accessory device.

1 is an electric block diagram of a camera system equipped with a drive unit as an accessory device according to an embodiment of the present invention and an interchangeable lens as an optical device using the drive unit. Schematic diagram of connection terminals of interchangeable lens and drive unit according to an embodiment of the present invention Schematic diagram of communication waveforms between interchangeable lens and drive unit according to an embodiment of the present invention Schematic of the state transition of the drive unit according to the embodiment of the present invention The flowchart figure which transfers to normal power saving mode from normal operation mode in embodiment of this invention The flowchart figure which transfers to normal operation mode from the power saving mode which concerns on embodiment of this invention The flowchart figure which transfers to sleep mode from normal operation mode which concerns on embodiment of this invention The flowchart figure which transfers to normal operation mode from the sleep mode which concerns on embodiment of this invention

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

<< First Embodiment >>
(Optical devices and accessory devices that can be attached to optical devices)
FIG. 1 is an electrical block diagram of a camera system 1 equipped with a drive unit as an accessory device according to an embodiment of the present invention and an interchangeable lens as an optical device using the drive unit. By attaching the drive unit 4 to the interchangeable lens 2, it is possible to electrically drive the focal length adjustment mechanism of the interchangeable lens 2.

  In FIG. 1, the camera system 1 includes an interchangeable lens 2, a camera body 3 as a photographing apparatus body on which the interchangeable lens 2 is detachably mounted, and a drive unit 4 that can be mounted on the interchangeable lens 2. In the camera body 3, a camera CPU 30, a control system power supply 31, a drive system power supply 32, a lens communication unit 33, a lens mounting detection unit 34, a distance measurement unit 35, and the like are provided.

  The camera CPU 30 controls all of the camera body 3, and includes a RAM, a ROM, an EEPROM, etc. (not shown). The control system power supply 31 supplies power to a control system circuit that requires a stable output voltage and that consumes relatively little power, such as the distance measuring unit 35 and a photometric unit (not shown). The drive system power supply 32 supplies power to a drive system circuit that consumes a relatively large amount of power, such as the interchangeable lens 2 and a shutter control unit (not shown).

  The lens communication unit 33 has a plurality of communication terminals for communicating with a lens CPU 20 described later, and transmits / receives distance measurement information, photometry information, and ID information. The lens attachment detection unit 34 detects that the interchangeable lens 2 is attached. The distance measuring unit 35 is a phase difference detection type distance measuring unit that detects the defocus amount to the subject using the light flux from the interchangeable lens 2.

  On the other hand, in the interchangeable lens 2, a lens CPU 20, a focus lens 21, a focus lens drive circuit 22, an aperture unit 23, an aperture drive circuit 24, a lens communication unit 25, a zoom position detection unit 26, and a drive unit communication unit 27 are provided. Yes. The lens CPU 20 controls all the controls in the interchangeable lens 2 and incorporates a RAM, a ROM, an EEPROM, etc. (not shown). The focus drive circuit 22 enables focus adjustment by driving the focus lens 21 in the optical axis direction in accordance with a command from the lens CPU 20.

  The diaphragm drive circuit 24 controls the F value by driving the diaphragm unit 23 in accordance with a command from the lens CPU 20. The lens communication unit 25 has a plurality of communication terminals for communicating with the camera CPU 30 and transmits / receives distance measurement information, photometry information, ID information, and the like. Then, the zoom position detection unit 26 detects the position of the zoom mechanism for adjusting the focal length, and the detected zoom position is managed by the lens CPU 20. The drive unit communication unit 27 has a plurality of communication terminals for communicating with a drive unit CPU 40 described later, and transmits and receives various types of information.

  In the drive unit 4, a drive unit CPU (DU_CPU) 40, a drive unit power source (DU_power source) 41, a drive unit communication unit (DU communication unit) 42, a zoom operation switch 43, a zoom drive circuit 44, and a zoom drive unit 45 are provided. Yes. The drive unit CPU 40 controls all the controls in the drive unit 4 and incorporates a RAM, a ROM, an EEPROM, etc. (not shown). The drive unit power supply 41 supplies power to the drive unit CPU 40 and a zoom drive circuit 44 described later.

  The drive unit communication unit 42 has a plurality of communication terminals for communicating with the lens CPU 20, and transmits and receives various types of information. The zoom operation switch 43 as an operation means is an operation unit for the user to perform a zoom operation. The zoom drive circuit 44 enables the focal length of the interchangeable lens 2 to be adjusted by driving the zoom drive unit 45 in accordance with a command from the drive unit CPU 40 via the zoom operation switch 43.

  The zoom drive unit 45 functions as drive means for driving at least a part of the interchangeable lens 2 together with the zoom drive circuit 44, and specifically drives the lens unit related to focus adjustment in this embodiment.

  Next, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing contact terminals of the interchangeable lens 2 and the drive unit 4 in the present embodiment. This contact terminal is constituted by the drive unit communication unit 42 in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, there are seven connection terminals. The ground terminal (GND) is a terminal for matching the ground levels of the interchangeable lens 2 and the drive unit 4. The drive unit connection detection terminal (CNT_LENS) is a terminal for the interchangeable lens 2 to detect the mounting of the drive unit 4, and is a terminal that transmits a voltage level signal that becomes Hi when not mounted and becomes Lo when mounted, for example.

  The lens connection detection terminal (CNT_DU) is a terminal for the drive unit 4 to detect the mounting of the interchangeable lens 2, and for example, a terminal for transmitting a voltage level signal that becomes Hi when not mounted and becomes Lo when mounted.

  The interchangeable lens 2 and the drive unit 4 perform clock synchronous bidirectional serial communication. Therefore, it has a data terminal (LTD) for transmitting data from the interchangeable lens 2 to the drive unit 4, a data terminal (DTL) for transmitting data from the drive unit 4 to the interchangeable lens 2, and a clock terminal (CLK). The clock master is the interchangeable lens 2.

  The drive unit 4 has a BUSY terminal for notifying the communication disabled state after receiving the communication data from the interchangeable lens 2 until the communication process is completed and communication can be resumed. In FIG. 2, the connection terminal is configured with seven terminals, but is not limited thereto, and may be configured with a number of terminals other than seven.

  Next, FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating communication waveforms performed between the interchangeable lens 2 and the drive unit 4 in the present embodiment. Communication between the interchangeable lens 2 and the drive unit 4 is a clock-synchronous bidirectional serial communication, and includes a lens data transmission terminal (LTD), a drive unit data transmission terminal (DTL), a clock terminal (CLK), and a BUSY terminal (BUSY). Implemented using.

  The data length is 8 bits, and data is output from the lens data transmission terminal (LTD) and the drive unit data transmission terminal (DTL) in synchronization with the falling edge of the CLK signal output from the interchangeable lens 2. Further, in synchronization with the rising edge of the CLK signal, the data of the lens data transmission terminal (LTD) and the drive unit data transmission terminal (DTL) are captured. After transmission / reception of 8-bit data is completed, the drive unit 4 notifies the interchangeable lens 2 of data transmission inhibition by setting the BUSY terminal (BUSY) to Lo.

  The drive unit 4 notifies the interchangeable lens 2 of data transmission permission by setting the BUSY terminal (BUSY) to Hi after the data reception process is completed and communication becomes possible. After confirming that the BUSY terminal (BUSY) is Hi, the interchangeable lens 2 performs the next communication as necessary.

  In FIG. 3, the clock synchronous two-way serial communication is used as the communication method. However, the communication method is not limited to this, and for example, an asynchronous communication method may be used.

(Operation mode of drive unit 4)
FIG. 4 is a state transition diagram showing the operation mode of the drive unit 4 in the present embodiment. The drive unit 4 has three operation modes, and the power supply state of the drive unit 4 as an accessory device includes a first power supply state in a normal operation state, a second power supply state in a sleep state (sleep state), and power saving. A third power state in the state.

  The normal operation mode 51, which is one of the three operation modes, is an operation mode in which communication with the interchangeable lens 2 and driving of the zoom drive unit 45 are possible. The sleep mode 53 is an operation mode in which communication with the interchangeable lens 2 cannot be performed as it is, and the zoom drive unit 45 cannot be driven. The power saving mode 52 is an operation mode in which communication with the interchangeable lens 2 is possible but the zoom drive unit 45 cannot be driven.

  The normal operation mode 51 and the power saving mode 52, and the normal operation mode 51 and the sleep mode 53 are changed, but the power saving mode 52 and the sleep mode 53 are not changed. The power saving mode 52 consumes less power than the normal operation mode 51, but consumes more power than the sleep mode 53.

(Transition from normal operation mode 51 to sleep mode 53)
FIG. 7 is an example of a flowchart showing a flow of transition from the normal operation mode 51 to the sleep mode 53 in the present embodiment. In ST701, if a sleep transition command is received from the interchangeable lens 2, the process proceeds to ST703, and otherwise, the process proceeds to ST702. In ST702, when the lens connection detection terminal (CNT_DU) is Hi, it is determined that the lens is removed from the interchangeable lens 2, and the process proceeds to ST702. Otherwise, the process ends without doing anything.

  In ST703, the drive unit 4 is shifted from the normal operation mode 51 to the sleep mode 53. In the sleep mode 53, the drive unit CPU 40 operates the drive unit power supply 41 to stop (cut off) the power supply of the zoom drive circuit 44. Furthermore, the drive unit CPU 40 can be activated by an interruption due to communication or lens connection, but indicates a state in which other functions are stopped (that is, the function of the drive unit CPU 40 as a control unit is partially stopped).

(Transition from sleep mode 53 to normal operation mode 51)
FIG. 8 is an example of a flowchart showing a flow of transition from the sleep mode 53 to the normal operation mode 51 in the present embodiment. In ST801, if communication from the interchangeable lens 2 is received, the drive unit CPU 40 is interrupted and the process proceeds to ST803. Otherwise, the process proceeds to ST802. In ST802, the drive unit CPU 40 is interrupted when the lens connection detection terminal (CNT_DU) is Lo, and the process proceeds to ST803. If not, the process ends without doing anything.

  In ST803, the drive unit CPU 40 detects an interruption of communication or lens attachment, and shifts from the sleep mode 53 to the normal operation mode 51. The transition from the sleep mode 53 to the normal operation mode 51 operates all the functions of the drive unit CPU 40. Further, the drive unit CPU 40 operates the drive unit power supply 41 to start supplying power to the zoom drive circuit 44.

(Transition from normal operation mode 51 to power saving mode 52)
FIG. 5 is an example of a flowchart showing a flow of transition from the normal operation mode 51 to the power saving mode 52 in the present embodiment. In ST501, if there is no communication from the interchangeable lens 2 for 1 second or more, the process proceeds to ST502. If not, the process is terminated without doing anything. In ST502, if there is no operation by the zoom operation SW43 for one second or more, the process proceeds to ST503, and if not, the process is terminated without doing anything. In ST503, the drive unit 4 shifts to the power saving mode.

  As described above, in this embodiment, when communication by the communication unit is not performed for a predetermined time, and when the operation by the operation unit is not performed for a predetermined time, power saving is performed from the normal operation mode 51 (the first power supply state described above). Transition to mode 52 (third power supply state described above). That is, the normal operation mode 51 transits to the power saving mode 52 depending on the operation status of the communication unit and the operation unit.

  In the power saving mode 52, the drive unit CPU 40 operates the drive unit power supply 41 to stop the power supply of the zoom drive circuit 44. Further, the drive unit CPU 40 refers to a state where the operation clock is lowered from that in the normal operation mode after functions other than those necessary for communication with the interchangeable lens 2 and detection of the zoom operation SW 43 are stopped. That is, in the third power supply state described above, the operating frequency of the drive unit CPU 4040 which is a control means for controlling the drive unit 4 as the accessory device is lowered.

(Transition from the power saving mode 52 to the normal operation mode 51)
FIG. 6 is an example of a flowchart showing a flow of transition from the power saving mode 52 to the normal operation mode 51 in the present embodiment. In ST601, if communication from the interchangeable lens 2 comes, the process proceeds to ST603, and if not, the process proceeds to ST602. In ST602, if there is an operation by the zoom operation SW43, the process proceeds to ST603, and if not, the process is terminated without doing anything.

  In ST603, the drive unit 4 is shifted from the power saving mode 52 to the normal operation mode 51. The transition from the power saving mode 52 to the normal operation mode 51 raises the operation clock of the drive unit CPU 40 to that for the normal operation mode 51 and starts all the stopped functions. Further, the drive unit CPU 40 operates the drive unit power supply 41 to supply power to the zoom drive circuit 44.

(Effect of this embodiment)
As described above, according to the present embodiment, by appropriately changing the state of the operation mode in the drive unit 4 of the interchangeable lens 2, a system that achieves both suppression of power consumption and responsiveness in the drive unit of the interchangeable lens is provided. be able to.

(Modification)
As mentioned above, although preferable embodiment of this invention was described, this invention is not limited to these embodiment, A various deformation | transformation and change are possible within the range of the summary.

(Modification 1)
In the above-described embodiment, the drive unit 4 as an accessory device that can be attached to the interchangeable lens 2 as an optical device has been described. However, the interchangeable lens 2 as an accessory device that can be attached to the camera body 3 by having the same configuration. It can also be. In this case, the camera body 3 as the photographing apparatus main body is positioned as an optical device in a broad sense.

2 .. Interchangeable lens 4... Drive unit 42.. Drive unit communication section 43 43 Zoom operation switch 51 Normal operation mode (first power supply state) 52 Power saving mode (third power supply State), 53 · · Sleep mode (second power supply state)

Claims (11)

An accessory device that can be attached to an optical device,
Communication means for communicating with the optical device;
Operating means for operating at least a part of the optical device;
Have
As a power state of the accessory device, a first power state in a normal operation state,
A second power state in hibernation;
A third power state in a power saving state;
With
No transition between the second power state and the third power state,
Transition between the first power state and the second power state by the communication means,
An accessory device that changes from the first power supply state to the third power supply state in accordance with operating states of the communication means and the operation means.   The case where the communication by the communication means is not performed for a predetermined time, and when the operation by the operation means is not performed for a predetermined time, the transition from the first power supply state to the third power supply state is performed. The accessory device according to 1.   2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the communication unit detects that the communication unit performs communication or the operation unit performs an operation, and transitions from the third power supply state to the first power supply state. Or the accessory apparatus of 2. Control means for controlling the accessory device;
4. The accessory device according to claim 1, wherein an operating frequency of the control unit is lowered in the third power supply state. 5. Control means for controlling the accessory device;
4. The accessory device according to claim 1, wherein a part of the function of the control unit is stopped in the third power supply state. 5. Control means for controlling the accessory device;
Driving means for driving at least a part of the optical device by the operating means;
Have
4. The accessory device according to claim 1, wherein, in the third power state, the control unit cuts off power supply to the driving unit. 5.   The accessory device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the second power supply state is further power saving than the third power supply state.   The accessory device according to claim 1, wherein the optical device is a lens device.   The accessory device according to claim 8, wherein the operation unit is operated to drive a lens unit related to focus adjustment of the lens device.   An optical device comprising the accessory device according to any one of claims 1 to 9.   The optical apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the optical apparatus can be attached to a photographing apparatus main body.